It took me 25 years, to break my virginity in experiencing period shame and period stigma. Before that, I had no clue what it meant, for a woman to stand up from her sit and have everyone stare, or whisper about her stained clothes. I was using a different brand of sanitary towels and unfortunately, well, belonging to the heavy flow category, the towels could not accommodate me for a few hours. And on this particular day, I can remember, the first person to call it out, not to give me a heads up but to call it out, was a woman who semi-shouted ‘Shit amejimess’. (you like want to cover your bum) Lord, I wanted to die. But my case is an extreme example because of course I had access to extra towels, I just couldn’t change until I got to a place convenient enough for me to change, but the damage was already done. I was the girl, that day, who stained her clothes with period blood. Out there though, this is the story of so many girls, who unfortunately cannot do shit about their situation.

A few day ago, the senate house was allegedly disgraced because a woman stained her clothes while having her period. Kenyan Senator Gloria Orwoba showed up in the senate chambers with her white trouser soiled with what looked like period blood. Honestly it was shocking for me that the first person to call her out, and in no kind words call her a disgrace, was a woman. Who called it faking, and that our culture as women require some privacy. She also pointed out that Sen. Gloria was sending a bad image to girls who look up to them as women. Now if this was stage managed to get the conversation going, it has definitely served it’s purpose, but what was interesting to me, was when the chair asked ‘what is this, that is out of order about senator Gloria’s dressing?’

If we understand the concept of symbolism, then perhaps we would applaud her for going out of her was to create awareness on a topic that hush hush even amongst women yet it is something that happens around us and will not stop happening just because we do not want to talk about it. What Sen. Gloria was advocating at least for me; for is that periods are normal, and they affect most girls and women, but unless we do something about the cost and accessibility of the commodity, most girls will continue to be affected by period poverty. They will miss school, and other important activities, because all hell shall break lose if they were to step out without the right insulation and soil their clothes. And additionally, since women reps and women senators are not coming out boldly to advocate for free sanitary towels or tampons, she had to do something about it, and in the process exposed just how bad period stigma is out here. This was my take home. Because we have had women representatives, women senators, and we even have National Government Affirmative Action Fund, under the Min of Public service, youth ang gender affairs but there is close to zero to show for sustainable measures put in place or advocated for to end period poverty and period stigma. While Sen Gloria was dressed as per the standing order, she was called out, not in a way intended to help her, but more to castigate her. Hers was just an example that period stigma and shame is something that women still go through.